Chairs

ABSTRACT

A CHAIR HAVING A FRAME, A SEAT AND A SEAT CARRYING MEMBER MOUNTED UPON THE FRAME AND PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE LOOP. THE SEAT HAS A REAR END FITTING INTO THE LOOP SO THAT THE SEAT CARRYING MEMBER IS SUBJECTED TO TWO OPPOSED FORCES WHEN THE SEAT IS SUBJECT TO A VERTICAL LOAD.

June 20, 197 B. P. BERGSTROM 3,371,074

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M 1L a A T RNIY United States Patent 3,671,074 CHAIRS Berit P. Bergstrom, Mellansjovagen 50, Huddinge, Sweden Filed July 6, 1970, Ser. No. 52,314 Int. Cl. A47c 3/04 US. Cl. 297239 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chair having a frame, a seat and a seat carrying member mounted upon the frame and provided with at least one loop. The seat has a rear end fitting into the loop so that the seat carrying member. is subjected to two opposed forces when the seat is subjected to a vertical load.

The present invention is concerned with improvements in chairs of the kind which comprises an essentially vertical frame portion, means for supporting said frame portion, and a seat which cooperates with said frame portion and is adapted to be swung from a generally horizontal position of use to a rest position, in which rest position the normally upper surface of the seat abuts, or is located adjacent to, an upper part of the frame portion.

Chairs of this kind are used in large numbers in such places as assembly halls, social halls, etc. and are preferably constructed so that they can be stacked one on top of another, thereby to occupy less floor space when stored. One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of such chairs, so as to reduce the cost of manufacture thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide a chair having a longer active life time, which in the present instance is realized by improved and simplified cooperation between the seat and frame portions of the chair.

The chair according to the invention is mainly characterized in that the seat is adapated to cooperate with the frame portion of the chair through the intermediary of a member arranged on the frame portion and situated so as to be at an appropriate height above the support or foundation upon which the chair is intended to rest, said member being in the form of a loop or provided with looped (or eye-shaped) portions which face upwards at least when the chair is in use, and wherein the rear end of the seat frame is capable of being inserted in the loop in such a way that the member is subjected to two opposed forces when the seat is subjected to a vertically acting load. Thus, there is created a frictional coaction between the frame portion and the seat of the chair, which fully replaces previously used linkage systems, shafts and other constructions of similar character, the active life time of which is greatly limited.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view from one side of chair according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the chair,

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the chair, but with the chair covering removed from the seat and frame portion, and

FIG. 4 show how the chairs can be nested for storage purposes.

The chair comprises a frame portion 10 made of a tubular material. The frame portion extends essentially vertically and is substantially in the form of an inverted U. The lower portion of the frame portion 10 is bent forwardly into a horizontally extending U-shaped bottom portion 11, which supports the frame portion 10 and forms the legs of the chair structure. The frame portion 10 can be said to comprise approximately vertical leg members 12, 12 arranged in spaced relationship and joined at the top by a cross member 12". Similarly, the supporting extension 11 is in the form of leg members 11' arranged in spaced relationship and joined by member 11". A seat, constructed of tubular material, is identified by the reference numeral 13.

In order to achieve the desired cooperation between the frame portion 10 and the seat 13, a member 14, made of tubular material and in the shape of an oval loop, is adapted to be passed over the leg members 12, 12 of the frame 10, to rest freely against outwardly projecting abutments 15 on the leg members 12, 12'. The abutments 15 are arranged at a convenient height above the floor or foundation upon which the chair is adapted to rest. By introducing the rear end of the seat 13 into the loop-shaped member 14 in the manner indicated (FIGS. 1 and 3) frictional coaction is obtained which, when the seat is subjected to load, causes the member to be subjected to two opposed forces p and p respectively. Furthermore, the frame-like construction of the seat 13' is so adapted that its rear end forms a limit abutment surface 16, to prevent inadvertent forward displacement of the seat 13. In the exemplary embodiment, the abutment surface 16 consists of an upwardly bent portion at the rear of the seat, and when the chair is in use one leg of member 14 lies positively in front of said upwardly extending portion 16.

The back and seat of the chair are covered with a suitable material 17, preferably a fabric, which is adapted to be threaded onto the tubular limbs of the frame and seat portions. Part of the covering is cut away on the seat and back of the chair, to form a grip position 18.

When the chair is not in use, the seat portion can be folded up to adopt the position shown by chain lines in FIG. 1. The chair may then be nested with other similar chairs in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4.

The chair as hereinbefore described with reference to the illustrated embodiment, can be modified in many ways. For instance, the member 14 may comprise two or more looped portions, although in this instance the construction of the seat will be different from that shown and described. The member 14 may also be mounted in a manner different from that shown and described. Furthermore, the abutment surfaces 15 may be eliminated by bending the leg members 12, 12' laterally outwards, to serve as an abutment for member 14.

What I claim is:

1. A chair, comprising a frame portion, a seat and a seat carrying member mounted upon said frame portion intermediate its ends, said member comprising at least one loop, said seat having a rear end fitting into said loop to subject the looped member to two opposed forces when the seat is subjected to a vertically acting load.

2. A chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame portion is made of tubular material and is in the shape of an inverted U, the frame portion having side or leg members which are provided with abutments against 5 which the looped member is adapted to rest freely.

3. A chair as claimed in claim 2, wherein the looped member is adapted to be passed over the leg members of the frame portion.

4. A chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat is made of tubular material and in that its rear portion is formed with a horizontal end portion which faces upwards when the chair is in use, whereby the seat is locked against inadvertent, horizontal forward movement thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,443,786 6/1948 Cooper 297-336 X FOREIGN PATENTS 367,948 4/1963 Switzerland 297-331 JAMES c. MITCHELL, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R. 

